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Christmas History in America
Christmas History in America
Christmas History in America
Every month of the year has something special to celebrate in the U.S. Throughout the
years, the U.S.Congress has passed laws declaring special days as official observances known as
federal holidays. Each federal holiday represents a day when federal employees and many other
workers have a paid day off from their jobs. There are some holidays they celebrate that are not
federal holidays but are very popular holidays to celebrate.
In the early 17th century, a wave of religious reform changed the way Christmas was
celebrated in Europe. When Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan forces took over England in 1645,
they vowed to rid England of decadence and, as part of their effort, cancelled Christmas. By
popular demand, Charles II was restored to the throne and, with him, came the return of the
popular holiday.
The pilgrims, English separatists that came to America in 1620, were even more orthodox
in their Puritan beliefs than Cromwell. As a result, Christmas was not a holiday in early America.
From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston. Anyone
exhibiting the Christmas spirit was fined five shillings. By contrast, in the Jamestown settlement,
Captain John Smith reported that Christmas was enjoyed by all and passed without incident.
After the American Revolution, English customs fell out of favor, including Christmas. In
fact, Congress was in session on December 25, 1789, the first Christmas under Americas new
constitution. Christmas wasnt declared a federal holiday until June 26, 1870.
Nicolas in his book "A History of New York." Nicolas is described as riding into town on a
horse.
1812: Irving, revised his book to include Nicolas riding over the trees in a wagon.
1821: William Gilley printed a poem about "Santeclaus" who was dressed in fur and drove a
sleigh
drawn
by
a
single
reindeer.
1822: Dentist Clement Clarke Moore is believed by many to have written a poem "An Account
of a Visit from Saint Nicolas," which became better known as "The Night before Christmas."
Santa is portrayed as an elf with a miniature sleigh equipped with eight reindeer which are
named in the poem as Blitzem, Comet, Cupid, Dancer, Dasher, Donder, Prancer, and Vixen.
Others attribute the poem to a contemporary, Henry Livingston, Jr. Two have since been renamed
Donner
and
Blitzen.
1841: J.W. Parkinson, a Philadelphia merchant, hired a man to dress up in a "Criscringle" outfit
and
climb
the
chimney
of
his
store.
1863: Illustrator Thomas Nast created images of Santa for the Christmas editions of Harper's
Magazine.
These
continued
through
the
1890's.
1860s: President Abraham Lincoln asked Nast to create a drawing of Santa with some Union
soldiers. This image of Santa supporting the enemy had a demoralizing influence on the
Confederate
army
-an
early
example
of
psychological
warfare.
1897: Francis P Church, Editor of the New York Sun, wrote an editorial in response to a letter
from an eight year-old girl, Virginia O'Hanlon. She had written the paper asking whether there
really was a Santa Claus. It has become known as the "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus"
letter.
4
1920's: The image of Santa had been standardized to portray a bearded, over-weight, jolly man
dressed
in
a
red
suit
with
white
trim.
5
1931: Haddon Sundblom, illustrator for The Coca-Cola company drew a series of Santa
images in their Christmas advertisements until 1964. The company holds the trademark for the
Coca-Cola Santa design. Christmas ads including Santa continue to the present day.
1939 Copywriter Robert L. May of the Montgomery Ward Company created a poem about
Rudolph, the ninth reindeer. May had been "often taunted as a child for being shy, small and
slight." He created an ostracized reindeer with a shiny red nose who became a hero one foggy
Christmas eve. Santa was part-way through deliveries when the visibility started to degenerate.
Santa added Rudolph to his team of reindeer to help illuminate the path. A copy of the poem was
given
free
to
Montgomery
Ward
customers.
6
1949: Johnny Marks wrote the song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Rudolph was relocated
to the North Pole where he was initially rejected by the other reindeer who wouldn't let him play
in their reindeer games because of his strange looking nose. The song was recorded by Gene
Autry and became his all-time best seller. Next to "White Christmas" it is the most popular song
of
all
time.
1993: An urban folk tale began to circulate about a Japanese department store displaying a lifesized
Santa
Claus
being
crucified
on
a
cross.
It
never
happened.
1997: Artist Robert Cenedella drew a painting of a crucified Santa Claus. It was displayed in the
window of the New York's Art Students League and received intense criticism from some
religious groups. His drawing was a protest. He attempted to show how Santa Claus had replaced
Jesus Christ as the most important personality at Christmas time.
References:
Barbara G. Walker, "The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets." Harper & Row,
(1983) Pages 725 to 726
Christmas in America- A History. Penne L. Restad, Oxford University Press, 1995
"St. Nicholas of Bari (Fourth Century)," Catholic Information Network, at:
www.cin.org/nichbari.html
http://www.californiamall.com/holidaytraditions/traditions-america.html